Process of manufacturing brace and slide plates for railway-rails



(No Model.) 3 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. S. GUERBER. PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING BRAGE AND SLIDE PLATES FOR RAILWAY RAILS. A

No. 477.536; Pented June 7 71%. W R MW Imam- 070, a @whr W 6y fivs vli'iorrowys (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

, S. GUERBER. PROCESS OF MAN TUBING BRAGE AND SLIDE PLATES FOR RAILWAY RAILS.

No. 477,536. Patented June 21, 1892.

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FREDERICK S. GUERBER, OF ALLENTOYVN, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING BRACE AND SLIDE PLATES FOR RAILWAY-RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 477,536, dated June 21, 1892. Application filed November 17, 1891. Serial No. 412,184. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK S. GUERBER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Allentown, Lehigh county, Pennsylvania,

have invented certain Improvements in the carrying out the process of making rail-braces.

Fig. 2 is a view of the primary upper die. Fig. 3 is a View of the. final upper die. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the bar used in connection with the final upper die. Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are views showing the different steps in the process of forming a rail-brace,and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a rail-brace made in accordance with my process.

.Referring to Fig. 9 in the first instance, A is the plate of any suitable metal, the por tion a passing under the rail, and when extended, as shown in Fig. 9, forms a slide-plate for the switch-rails of a railway-switch. The portion a. conforms to the upper edge of one of the base-flanges of the rail. The portion a conforms to the web of the rail. to is an inclined strut for taking the transverse strains, and a is a foot projecting beyond the strut. This portion a and the portion a are suitably punctured to receive the securing-spikes.

In the manufacture of rail-braces it is difficult to so make braces that they will conform to the different rails used, as some rails are of different contour, while others are of different sizes. Consequentlya rail-brace made for a rail of one size or shape will not correctly fit a rail of another size or shape.

In the ordinary rail-brace a neat fit is not absolutely necessary, though preferred; but a brace used for bracing the rails at a switch must fit the rails correctly. Then, again, it would be too expensive to make special dies for each style of rail, as the braces used are comparatively few in number. I overcome this disadvantage by making a brace that will correctly fit a rail for which it is intended in a comparatively quick and inexpensive manner by utilizing a section of the rail as the former die upon which the brace is formed, the upper dies being of such a character that the variance in the rails will not necessitate a new upper die for each shape or style. Therefore in making braces used in the construction of a switch in which a certain rail is used I simply take a short section of this rail, place it in the lower die-holder, and use it as the lower die, as shown in the diagram, and I have a series of braces that will correctly fit the rail. In order to allow for the contraction of the metal in cooling, in some instances I take a shaving from the web, head, and flange, so as to make the brace with a head a trifle larger than necessary, so that when it cools and shrinks it will correctly fit the rail.

Referring to the drawings, B is the rail, clamped to the anvil-block (3, which is mounted in the housing D in any suitable manner. E E are two clamp-blocks adapted to slideways in the housings, as shown in Fig. 1, and

rest upon the head and the flange of the rail and are secured 'to the housings D by the guide-plates D.

F is a triangular bar which is adapted to be introduced between the partially-formed brace and the clamp-blocks E E. The brace is bent over this bar, as shown in Fig. 7.

WVhen the plate is mounted as shown in Fig. 5, the end of the plate comes in contact with a gage-stop (Z.

Fig. 2 represents the primary upper die H, having a portion h, adapted to force the bar into the space between the flange and the head of the rail, and having a portion h, which turns the bar down onto the base-flange of the rail.

Fig. 3 shows a final upper die I, having an inclined face 2', parallel with theinolined face of the bar F, as shown in Fig. 7. This die has also a face 1', against which is forced the foot a of the brace, as shown in Fig. 8.

In carrying out my process I first take a blank of the desired length, width, and thickness and place it upon the lower die, as shown in Fig. 5. This blank rests upon the anvilblock and the base-flange of the rail. The upper die is then mounted upon it, as shown in Fig. 5, and power is applied, either by a steam-hammer or hydraulic or other appliance, forcing the upper die down into the lower die, bending the blank, as shown in Fig. 6, so that it will conform to the side and base of the rail. I then remove the upper die and place the bar F in position and turn the portion as of the blank over the bar. Then I apply the final upper die, as shown in Fig. 7, forcing the portion 0a of the blank down into the bar F, as shown in Fig. 7. I then turn the portion forming the foot a of the blank anvil-block, the rail forming the lower die against the face 1" of the upper die, as shown in Fig. 8, thus finishing the bending of the for securing the rail to the. anvil-block, the rail f being free tomove longitudinally on the an- ;vil-block when released from the control of l the clamp-block, substantially as described.

blank.

By-having the section of rail longer than the width of the blank I am enabled to renew the lower die at intervals. by simply sliding the rail longitudinally within its housings,

- anvil, the rail forming the lower die, clamps for securing the rail to the, anvil, and a bar,

practically making a new lower die. Thus at a very small cost I am enabled to make a die that will last a considerable length of time,

' tween the rail and the clamp-blocks, and an and which can be readily changed when circumstances, require.

I claim as my invention 1. The process. herein described of making I,

I posed of a section of a rail secured to the anvil-block with a primary upper die having a 1 portion adapted to pass between the head and j the. flange of the rail, and a. portion adapted to pass outside the flange of the rail, so as. to

rail-braces, said process consisting of utilizing as a die a section of rail of the form which the braces are intended to fit and forcing the blank against said rail so that the inner face of the brace will be shaped to conform to the side of the rail, substantially as described.

2. The process herein described of forming rail-braces, said process consisting in first f mounting as the lower die a section of the rail to which the brace is to be applied; second, forcing the blank into the space. between the head and base-flange of the rail and against, thebase of the rail; third, turning a portion of the blank over a former to form the strut, and, fourth, bending the remaining portion of the blank in line with the base- I flange of the rail, substantia1ly as described.

3. The process herein described of forming braces for rails, said process consisting in taking a section of the rail for which the braces are intended, planing off a portion of the rail between the head andfiange, mounting the said rail so as to form a die, forcinga =heated blank into the die thus formed, and shaping the blank substantially as described, so that when the blank is cool it will accurately fit the rail for which it is intended, substantially'as described.

at. The combination of the housings, the

mounted on said anvil-block,andclamp-blocks 5. The combination of the housings, the

dies, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the lower die comshape the blank to the form of the. rail, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of 1 two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK S. GUERBER.

WVitnesses:

HENRY I-IowsoN, EUGENE ELTERICH. 

